Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane has revealed the one career path his close friend and former teammate Siphiwe Tshabalala has completely ruled out.
Tshabalala, whose iconic opening goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup remains one of the country’s most celebrated sporting moments, has been inactive since leaving AmaZulu FC in 2021.
While the 41-year-old’s playing days appear to be definitively behind him, not much has been said about his future in the game.
Two months ago, ‘Shabba’ was photographed alongside Yeye as he was unveiled as Matebele FC coach in Botswana. The former Chiefs and Bafana duo, who are also business partners, are navigating their post-playing careers together.
“He’s in Botswana almost once a month. And there’s a possibility that he might also come next week,” Letsholonyane told FARPost. “He’s part of this project from my personal point of view. He contributed a lot to my being here, as he was involved. So that picture says a lot. It’s not just a picture. It’s a picture that defines brotherhood, that defines togetherness.”
Despite the difficult start to life as a coach, Letsholonyane, who holds a CAF A Coaching Licence, is firmly focused on his new path. “He knows that my passion is here. I don’t want to be anything else but a coach, seeing players improve on the field and getting better,” he added.
WHAT CAREER PATH IS OFF THE TABLE FOR SIPHIWE TSHABALALA
Letsholonyane stated that Tshabalala’s passion lies strictly on the managerial side of the game. “I think we’ve had a conversation a lot of times, and he obviously doesn’t want to be a technical person,” Letsholonyane explained.
“He loves football. Shabba has a lot of passion for football. He wants to see football grow. But on the other side of the field, more of the management side of things.”
Meanwhile, Letsholonyane’s journey with Matebele FC has been a tough test in his first head-coaching role. His youthful side, with an average age of just 21, is currently 13th in the Botswana Premier League table, having collected eight points from 11 matches.
The coach has overseen a challenging start, with a record of two wins, two draws, and seven losses across his first 11 league matches, but the club remains committed to their project under his leadership.
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